Dispensing apparatus



H. B. CUULEY. msPENslN APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FtB. 16, i921.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR.

l'l. B. COOLEY.

DISPENSING APPARAUS.

APPUcATxoN HLED rLB.16, |921.

a SHEETS- sneu 2.

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ATTO EY.

H. B. comfy. DISFENSING APPARATUS'.

APPLICATION HLEQ FEB. I6, |921.

Patented NOV. 1,5, 1921.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 3.

. /'fz INVENTOR.

' ing Apparatus, of

sis

` with a machine for vending:

cups and one or more of UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE.

HENRY COOLEY, 0F KENSINGTON. CONNECTICUT. ASSIGN'OR TO THE AMERICAN PAPER GOODS COMPANY, 0F KENSINGT N. CONNECTICUT. `A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

v DISPENSING APPARATUS.

. 1,396,995- Specification of Letters Patent. glfpnfpd No 15, 192L Application lled February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445.347.

To all whom t may eminem:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. Cooper, a citizen of the United `States, residintr at Kensington, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispenswhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a dispensingV apuaratns. The improvements may he either incorporated in a free dispenser by which an' article or articles can he obtained from the machine without the intervention of a coin, or in a machine in which such article.

or articles can be had 01115v by the introducir with the parts carried thereby.

tion of a coin or something of an equivalent character, into the machine. While it is conceivable that the several features ot' the invention may be embodied in machines of either type for vending various commodities; it is of especial utility when associated drinkingr cups which are supported in a stack of nested which may be obtained in either of the ways to which I have referred.

I have a number of objects in view among them bein the provision of means of an effective character which is snsceptihle of eas* action and by which one or more ol the cups can be delivered to the individual desiring the same in a positive and certain manner. The machine possesses many of. her features of novelty and advantage which with the foregoing will 'be set forth fully. inthe following description wherein l will Outline in'detail thatA one ot' the several forms of embodiment of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and formingr part. ot' the present specification, this disclosure heing snflicient to enable those skilled in the art to practise the invention. It will of Course he clear that I am not restricted to Such disclosure. I may depart therefrom in a number of vespe-cts within thc scope of the invention defined h v thc claims Fol lowing said description, it hcinglr under Stood that the invention embodies certain rather hroad relations.

Referring` to said dra wings:

Figure 'l is a horizontal section on the line l-i of Fig. 2 and as seen from abo-ve.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional side rieur tion as viewed from the righi .idc ci u.,

`upper portion of the barrel and machine or thatr appearing at the front in lig. 4. ot' the lower portion of said ninchine.

Fig. ."5 machine.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the the two opposite shelves and the ejector-s carried hv the shelves. i

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding' to Fig. 4, the plane ol the section however heing at right angles or practically so and showing the other two dianietrically-oppositc shelves.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view ot' the barrel Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical Sectional views of the upper portion of theI barrel showing respectively the shelves and the partel associated therewith, the full and dotted lines illustrating respectively a cycle ol action.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout thc several views which are on different Scales.

The supportingg` mechanism for the operative parts ot' the machine may he of anyr .suitable character. .ls shown it consists di a casinor 2 usually of metal. Within the casing; .1 wall .l in which a cup is discharged and when it. is discharged it rests on the hottoni ot the` casing' so that it canhc reached through the opening Il' in the forward side of the casing. lhere is a receiver for the stack oi nested'. drinking: cups and while. the same will be ot any suitable nature it is 4shown as consistingr of a barrel -t of ,practically cylindrical form and somewhat elongated to receive thc stack, the circninfcrential portions of the cups 4 being somewhat adjacent to hut not necessarily touchingthc inner surface of the receiver or barrel 4l. Fitted in an`opening in the top or roof of the casing 2 is an upwardly tapered sleeve 5 the lower or enlarg'cd end ot' the sleeve being fitted in said opening and the sleeve havin;r an external shoulder 6 to rest on said top. r|`he upper reduced end 4of the sleeve, .7 receives within it the tuhe i generally of glass and havin@r ncar its lower end the external head H which` rests on the upper edge of the sleeve all as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The glass tube. receives initially the upper portion ot' the .stack which may be inspected at any time Ychen the stack is high enough to per` is a rightside elevation ot' tl1e- The primary stack supporting means when in operative or active relation which is the iiormal condition when the machine. is at rest, engages the lowerniost cup of the stack, usually under the bead at the upper edge thereof. Theisecondary stack supporting means when in operative relation engages -the stack at a higher point generally the second cup from the bottom of the stack under the bead thereof. Usually the secondary stack su porting means is in opcrative relation be ore the primary stack supporting means is moved to inoperative or stack releasing position. When however the primary stack supporting Vmeans is in stack releasing position1 I provide means for separating -the lowerniost portion of the stack from the remainder thereof. thisA action naturally Aoccurring when the primary stack supporting means is in inoperativerelation. Usually only one cup, the lowermost one, is thus removed from the stack and this isV desirably done by means which follows a direction coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the lstack which in the'presentcase and other of whichl can conceive` is vertical.

'libe primary stack supporti-ng means iii the construction shown comprises two shelves such as 9. The shelves are practically L or angular form in cross section., the horizontal flanges thereof presenting the stack-support- ,ing means.` Attached to theA outer sides of the vertical or upright flanges of the respective shelves are outwardly-bowed springs 10 somewhat elongated 'and connected as shown at theirl upper ends to the upper-pon tion of the shelyes 9 the spring exerting ay constant tendency to swing;r the respective shelves 9 oiitwardl which is resisted in a manner I will hereinafter set forth.

There is shown as slidahle on the upper portion of the receiver or barrel 4, the an-y nulus or ring 11 constituting part of the operatin mechanism. as will hereinafter explain and which has a s iding motion down and up on the receiver or barrel 4. As represented this ring 1l has at diametrically opposite places the apertures 12 to receive th'etwo shelves 9. I have shown attached to theannulus or ring 11 the butts of.

the outwardly. bowed` fingers 13 the free rounded lower end portions of which when the ring 11 is in its upward osition engages against the shelves when t e ring 11 is at 1 ,soepen ai@ 'ama of as upwaramoaoa. It wiii be assumed that the ring 11 is moved downward and I will describe hereinafter howVv this may be aci'mmplished. On this particu! lai' motion the free ends of` the fingers vv13 will pass clear of the shelves 9 and on this action the shelves 9 willl be swung outward through the -action ofk the sprili 10.and cause the shelvesto .enter the arc ed intermediate parts of'theli'n'gers 13so that the shelves!) will wholly free the stack but not free it desirably until the secondary stack 'supporting means, also usually consisting of shelves, has assumed its o erative or stackrestrainin position. Ont e upward'movement of t erin" 11 the fin carried therewit and will ride u ontothe exteriors of theshelves 9 and4 wil (am the same inward sothat the horizontaLia-nges of theslielves 9 will be projected well im their appropriate .slots 9aiid`get under' the e ternal bead of what is ,now thelowermost cup and what wasbefore this the second cup in the stack. l

The secondary stack su porting means consists `desirably also of sielves 14 which like the shelves 9 are of L-'shape in cross section or angular in torin,'the operative por- `tion ofthe shelves being intended to 4pass through'slots as 15 in the receiver or barrel 4,. diainetricall opposite each other and ,in alineiiient"V wit one another yet a trifle rs 13 Will he higher as shown` than the diametrically-opposite slots 9'.. to their outer sides the Shanks which rise 14' at their upper ends to suitable bearings externallyr of the receiver or barrel 4. lVhen the machine' is at rest, or`it might be'considered its normal relation, the secondary shelves 14 are held in their retracted or backward positions4 usually by s ring means asl .will 4hereinafter explain. T ey are prohe shelves 14 have fastenedico therefrom, said Shanks being pivoted as at jected inwardlyV or toward their operative i positions in 4the construction'shown, .throu li the primary agency-of the ring 11 which or such purposes has di/ametrically opposite apertures 18.in which the respectives anks 16.1ie. As the rin fl is lowered in `the manner tol which ferred, it traverses the Shanks 1'6 and swings the4 same and hence theshelves 14 inward.`

they reaching their extremeinnermost positions and under what is for the time being in the construction shown. the second lowermost cup ofthe stack being `fully rejected usually and desirably under 'sai lowermost cup just about the time .the prihave hereinbefore. re-

second mary shelves 9 commence their described backward movement so that in such 'event the stack is not released. As the ring 11 rises the secondary shelves v14 are of course automatically returned to their original and retracted positions. I should note at this 'point that about the time the two for causing a forward and a backward movement of the band, means actuated by the hand on its forward movement for moving the primary stack supporting means into inoperative position and on said forward movement for movingthe secondary stack supporting means into operative position, and'ejectino' means for the lowermost part oftlw stacii, actuated by the band on the last part of the advancing movement thereof, and after tl1e primary `stack Supporting meansl is in stack-releasingposition for reversing said actions on the retractive movement of .the band. i

3. A machine. of the class described, comprisingr a barrel to reoeive a" stack of nested drinking cups primary stack supporting means, secon( ary stac supporting means, the primary `and the secondary stac supporting means simultaneously 'engaging the stack at superposed points when respectively'in operative ositions, a band around the barrel, means or ,causing a downward movement of the band, a rod connected with the band the barrel having a lug to siidingly receive the rod, a spring between vthe band. and the lug 1the spring being compressed on` the downward movement of the band whereby when the band is released the spring will cause the bandto move upwardly,l

means actuated by the-band on its downward movement for moving the primary 'stack supporting means into inoperative position and on said downward movement for moving the secondary stack Asupporting means into operative position, and ejecting means lfor the l'oWermost part of the stack, actuated 4 'or causing a forward and a backward movement of the band, means actuated by the band on its forward movement for moving the primary stack supporting means into inoperative position and on said forwardmovement for moving the secondary stack supporting means into operative position, and ejectin means for rthe lowermost part of the stac supported for sliding movement by the secondary stack supporting Vmeans and actuated liy the loand on the last part' of the advancing movement thereof and after the primary stack supporting means is in stack releasing position, and when the secondary stack supporting means is in operative position.

1in testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY B. cooLEY.

Witnesses:

Tnos. W. EMERSON, ENGNAR JOHNSON. 

